Showing events on this day in years past that shaped history... just, not our history.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

July 7, 1947 – Howard Hughes Killed in Crash

While piloting an experimental aircraft for the US Air Force, Howard Hughes, one of the greatest American inventors and innovators, perished in a crash in Beverly Hills, California. The craft was the XF-11, a plane meant for reconnaissance with a range of 5,000 miles and a top speed of 450 mph. Later searches through the wreckage would point the failure to an oil leak, which thus ended the exciting and versatile life of Howard Hughes.

Born in 1905, Hughes was the son of Howard Hughes, Sr, a cunning inventor and entrepreneur who created the two-cone roller bit used in drilling for petroleum that allowed him to found the Hughes Tool Company in 1909. Hughes, Jr's, mother died in 1922, and his father in 1924 of a heart attack, leaving Hughes an emancipated minor in 1925 with full command of his family's immense wealth.

Hughes was known for many skills: He played golf with professional athletes through his twenties, but never pursued a career himself. He produced numerous films in Hollywood, including 1932's Scarface and 1928's Two Arabian Knights, which won an Academy Award. He also designed and flew aircraft, his greatest work.

Most famous was his H-1 Racer, a plane in which he set airspeed records (though later proven already accomplished) and records for flight time, such as his trip between LA & NYC in 7 hours, 28 minutes, 25 seconds in 1937. Awards were showered upon him. Hughes even received a Congressional Gold Medal in 1939, but he was much too busy to pick it up. It now rests in the wing dedicated to Hughes in the National Air and Space Museum.

At the time of his death, no one could say a bad thing about him. None can guess what would have come of the young genius had he survived. Perhaps with his designs and urgings, commercial airliners would have eclipsed the ever-popular train for travel within the country.

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In reality, Hughes survived, despite third-degree burns, broken ribs, a collapsed lung, a crushed collar bone, and additional injuries. In the years that followed, he would design and fly the infamous H-4 Hercules (also known as the “Spruce Goose”), gain control of RKO films, and finally moved to Las Vegas, where he would descend into mental and physical illness. Today, Hughes is sadly much better known for his eerie lack of hygiene and various addictions than for his innovations in aviation.

3 comments:

Often we hear anti-whites use the term "minorities" used to refer to Africans, Indians, ect

But In 1900 my people, white people, comprised 33% of world population, today we are at 9% and dropping like a rock. Not only are we a minority in the world but because of immigration & assimilation in EVERY white country and ONLY white countries our children are poised to be minorities IN OUR OWN COUNTRIES within a few decades.

And you think non white people don't think highly of themselves as well? I looked thru the bible...I can't find anywhere where the good lord bestowed upon white people the title of the chosen ones...In fact white people aren't mentioned at all......maybe you can enlighten us? Perhaps white people are destined to go the way of the dodo bird?

A Muslim, a Jew, a Pagan, a Christian and an Atheist walk into a coffee shop.... And they all sit down, have a cup of coffee and become friends.It's not a joke, it's what happens when you're not an asshole.